U.S. Department
of Justice
Division Heads
Acting Chief of the Civil Division
Daniel A. Beck
Daniel Beck is the Chief of the Civil Division. Mr. Beck joined the Office in 2017 as an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in the Civil Division. As an AUSA and Chief of the Complex and Defensive Litigation Section, Mr. Beck has successfully defended numerous constitutional tort, employment, immigration, and administrative actions, from inception through trial and appeals, with a particular emphasis on defending federal law enforcement and class actions. Mr. Beck graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in philosophy and received his J.D. from Yale Law School. In the private sector, Mr. Beck was an associate at Latham & Watkins LLP, where he litigated numerous major commercial cases, and later joined Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, continuing to work on large cases, generally with a complex scientific or economic focus.
Chief of the Criminal Division
Jennifer L. Waier
Ms. Waier has dedicated her career to public service having served as an AUSA for more than 20 years. Ms. Waier has handled nearly every type of federal criminal case, including complex fraud, public corruption, and violent crime. She is one of the most productive prosecutors in the country, charging more than 800 defendants during her tenure. Ms. Waier has tried 10 jury trials and argued multiple appeals before the Ninth Circuit. As an example of her trial work, she was part of the trial team that convicted former Major League Baseball player Douglas DeCinces for insider trading; she convicted a DEA Task Force Officer and criminal defense attorney for bribery; and she convicted a doctor for bribing an IRS revenue agent. She also has served as a Deputy Chief in the USAO’s Orange County Office.
Beyond her case work, Ms. Waier has served the Office in various coordinator roles, including the Securities Fraud Coordinator, Financial Fraud Coordinator, the SARS Program Coordinator, and the Extern Coordinator for the USAO’s Orange County Branch Office. Since 2018, she has served as a member of the Office’s Hiring Committee. Ms. Waier has been a mentor to numerous AUSAs, past and present. Outside of the Office, she is currently a Board Member for the Orange County Bar Association (“OCBA”), Chair of the OCBA’s Judiciary Committee, and a Mock Trial Coach for Santa Margarita Catholic High School.
Before joining the Office, Ms. Waier was an associate in the Los Angeles and Orange County offices of Jones Day. She received her B.A. from the University of California, Irvine, and her J.D. from the University of San Diego, where she graduated Order of the Coif and founded and served as the first Editor-in-Chief of USD’s International Law Journal.
Chief of the National Security Division
Ian V. Yanniello
Ian Yanniello joined the Office in 2018 and has been a key contributor in the Office’s efforts to mitigate violent crime and protect the Central District. Before his current role, Mr. Yanniello served in other leadership roles in the Office, including Chief of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section and Chief of the General Crimes Section. Among other district-wide initiatives, Mr. Yanniello helped spearhead Operation Safe Cities, which significantly increased federal prosecutions of violent, recidivist offenders. Mr. Yanniello has investigated and prosecuted a variety of cases, including terrorism and national security matters, complex financial crimes, and murder and death-resulting cases. His jury trials include a wire fraud and tax evasion case against a former lawyer who embezzled millions from clients, a six-week securities fraud and market manipulation trial against a stockbroker, and a fentanyl distribution case that resulted in the death of a 15-year-old victim, among others.
Prior to joining the Office, Mr. Yanniello clerked for the Honorable Alfred T. Goodwin for the Ninth Circuit and the Honorable Mary H. Murguia, who is currently Chief Judge for the Ninth Circuit. Mr. Yanniello is a graduate of Loyola Law School and has a Biomedical Engineering degree from the University of Southern California.